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by lip2jin



Category: TWICE (Band)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:02:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24825016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lip2jin/pseuds/lip2jin
Summary: twice sorority house au
Relationships: Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Minatozaki Sana, Im Nayeon/Myoui Mina
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109





	home

**Author's Note:**

> hello im back with a twice au! ive been wanting to write something for them and its taken me a while but its finally here! please leave a comment if you want, i hope you enjoy.

Nayeon slowly and dramatically walked down the long staircase of their sorority house. Once she reached the bottom, she breathed in and breathed out. She was an upperclassman now, solidifying her spot as president. Leader. Queen bee.

She laughed at herself, the last one was an exaggeration. She was only going to be in charge of eight girls total for the sorority after recruiting for the new year.

Right now, she had her closest friends Jeongyeon and Momo. And Sana. If she could even consider her a proper friend. The lines tended to get a little blurry whenever they got into bed together.

Nayeon was ready to review the newcomers who wanted to join the sorority. A group of ten girls had signed up, but she would have to decide which five would be granted a place in their house.

After extensive questioning and evaluation, she lined the girls up and turned to deliberate with her friends.

“Tzuyu is a given, she’s tall and gorgeous.” The four of them decided that one pretty quickly. Then came Chaeyoung, for her talents, of course.

“Would it look like favoritism if we said yes to Jihyo?” Jeongyeon brought up hesitantly. The second year university student was a childhood friend of Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s.

“Screw it, we have to choose her.”

They were down to two recruitments and the new girls were getting nervous at how long it was taking for them to decide. Jihyo looked to her right, noticing how jittery her friend was being. She grabbed her hand to calm her nerves, which she greatly appreciated.

“You’ll get this.”

“You want to choose Dahyun because you find her cute?” Nayeon furrowed her eyebrow at Sana. Typical Sana, always going for the cute girls. It was always a wonder how they managed to make friends with benefits work with each other, they were definitely not each other’s types.

Nayeon turned back around at the line up, scanning every girl like a data machine. “It’s a toss up between Yeji and Mina for me.” She heard Momo speak up.

“I like Yeji for it.” Sana responded, looking expectantly at Jeongyeon for her vote. Nayeon’s eyes landed on Jihyo, smirking at her old friend and receiving a similar look back. Then her gaze shifted to the girl standing next to her.

_Who was that?_

The girl was poised and proper, judging by her perfect posture. She had long wavy hair, dark brown but with a slight tint of red to it. Her face was attractive. Something about her aura was alluring to Nayeon.

“Her.” She locked eyes with her, noticing how quickly the other girl looked away. Nayeon was interested.

“Sorry, Sana. Three votes for Mina to your one vote for Yeji.” She finally turned back to her friends.

“Mina?”

Jeongyeon stared at her. “The girl you just pointed out. She’s our last recruitment.” She nodded absentmindedly, even missing the way Sana pouted at being voted against.

_Mina huh._

Nayeon stared up at the ceiling, lost in her thoughts while she felt a hand sliding up her thigh. She was in her room, on her bed, with Sana. Their five new recruitments were sleeping in the living room for the night, giving her time to figure out rooming arrangements.

Jeongyeon and Momo roomed together, Sana and her roomed together. With only four rooms for the nine of them, one room would have to have three.

She felt soft kisses on her neck, but she ignored them and turned to face Sana instead. “How would you feel if I had Mina room with us?”

Sana leaned in to steal a quick kiss. “Well, we wouldn’t be able to do all this every night.” Her hand slid higher up her thigh, nearly reaching where Nayeon’s usually desperate to be touched.

Nayeon’s voice faltered. “W-Who says we couldn’t?” The subject of a third roommate was avoided and dropped the moment Sana went in for another kiss, successfully distracting her.

She laid awake in bed that night, Sana quietly snoring away next to her. There was something particular about Mina that just drew Nayeon in. It was always hard for her to find something, _someone_ , that she was genuinely interested in. And stayed interested in.

Nayeon was never one for commitment or long lasting relations, with the exception of Sana. Sana was just too good at making Nayeon feel good, it was impossible not to go back to Sana over and over again.

But what did it mean, her interest in this Mina girl? Did she finally form a heart or something? Nope, that couldn’t be it.

The rooms were finally decided. Nayeon decided to throw Chaeyoung and Tzuyu in one room and Jihyo and Mina in the other room, slightly disappointed that she couldn’t room with her and Sana. Momo and Jeongyeon were happy to welcome Dahyun as their third roommate.

They gave the newcomers time to get situated into their new rooms. Nayeon looked at the door across from her room. That was going to be _Mina’s_ room. Without her realizing, she was walking towards it.

A body moved passed her to swing the door to the room open. A sweaty Jihyo carrying a box of books. She didn’t have time to speak before Jihyo saw the chance to use Nayeon as an extra set of arms, tossing the box towards her. “Great! Help me out.”

Nayeon hesitantly walked into the half moved in room. The house had pretty spacious rooms, enough to fit four people in each if they wanted to. So it was pretty sizable for two people. Two queen beds on the opposite ends of the room, two large desks, two closets. The only thing they had to share was a bathroom for each room.

Nayeon dropped the box onto the ground next to Jihyo’s desk. She could tell it was her friend’s, judging by the way it was already piled with sheets of music. “Where’s Mina?” Jihyo looked up at her after she ripped open a box. She tried to act nonchalant, but Jihyo’s eyes narrowed at her.

“Oh, hell no.”

Nayeon threw her hands up in surrender. “I can’t be curious about her whereabouts?” Jihyo gave her an unconvinced look.

“No. No no no no no.” She sternly stuck a finger in Nayeon’s amused face. “You are to never, I mean never, go for someone as sweet and kind as her!”

The older girl pouted at that. Jihyo knew of her ways, and she was right. Nayeon was bad news for a girl like Mina. Her head told her it was best for her to stay away. Good thing Nayeon never listened to her head.

Nayeon had Sana pinned to their bedroom door, tugging at the other girl’s pajama shorts. “What’s gotten into you?” There was a lack of response, but the kissing intensified. Sana held her back by her shoulders and let out a shaky sigh.

Sure she was all hot and bothered now, but something was off about the girl in front of her, who couldn’t look her in the eye. Sana has known Nayeon, roomed with her, slept with her, long enough to pinpoint certain emotions the older girl goes through. No matter how closed off Nayeon wanted to make herself seem, Sana saw right through it.

“Want to talk about it?”

Nayeon growled, surging forward to pin Sana up against the door again. “Absolutely not.” Well, she tried. Sana succumbed to the advances, pushing back her thoughts far into her head to address later. Maybe.

Jihyo scrunched her eyebrows as she pulled back her headset. She had been listening to some compositions she had written for music class, but a consistent thumping noise finally caught her attention. She turned around to see Mina equally as confused, then they heard a stifled moan. It was quiet enough that it didn’t echo throughout the house, but loud enough for them to hear across the hallway.

Jihyo gasped under her breath, suddenly gathering pieces together in her mind. Nayeon had mentioned to her over the phone that she had a person that she was seeing, but it was just sex. It didn’t make sense to her at the time, since Nayeon’s whole life was the sorority, and that took up most of her friend’s life.

She wondered who that other person would be, but judging by what she was hearing, it was easy to deduce who it was. And by the look on Mina’s face, it was obvious she figured out who as well.

Jihyo figured her friend, now roommate, would say something, but she swiftly turned back to her homework with an unreadable expression. She glanced at the other girl before returning to her music. She was going to kill Nayeon.

“It’s only our first night, but you and Sana--"

Nayeon slapped her hand on Jihyo’s mouth, successfully stopping her next words. She frantically looked around the kitchen, wondering if the others eating at the table had overheard them. She cursed Sana in her head, knowing how loud the other girl was the night before, but not caring in the heat of the moment. She just knew someone would hear.

“Jeong and Momo don’t know.”

Jihyo deadpanned, but lowered her voice. “Oh, I’m sure they know, judging by how loud-.” Nayeon’s eyes widened at Mina approaching the kitchen with her empty plate, quickly shutting Jihyo up with a jab to her side.

Mina sent a soft smile her way, maneuvering between the two to get to the sink. She carefully placed her dishes down and turned to address Jihyo. “Can you come with me to the park while I paint?”

Jihyo’s eyes lit up, but then she groaned. “Sorry, I can’t! I just remembered I have two essays that are due tonight.”

“I can go.” Two pairs of eyes, one with an incredulous look and the other curious, shifted towards Nayeon. “I have nothing to do today.” The older girl grinned as Mina nodded shyly, totally ignoring the furious eyes burning a hole on the side of her head from Jihyo.

The second Mina disappeared from their sights, Jihyo slapped Nayeon’s shoulder. “What did I say?!” She rolled her eyes. Nayeon was getting sick of this overprotective role of Jihyo’s.

“What’s your deal?! I can’t even hang out with her?”

Jihyo’s eyes softened, sighing heavily as her body slumped onto the island chair. “Mina’s a really nice girl, Nayeon.”

She gave her a semi confused look. “So you’ve said.” Jihyo shook her head, weaving a hand through her tangled morning hair out of habit.

“No, I mean she’s never dated. Never had her first kiss. I’m sure she’s never even had a crush on someone.” Nayeon stared at her dumbly, wondering why she was saying all of this to her. “No offense, Nayeon, but you kind of suck at relationships.”

Once again, Jihyo wasn’t wrong, but why did her words actually hurt this time? Why did she feel anger bubbling inside of her? Why did she feel like she could prove her wrong?

She stayed still, staring off into space when she felt Jihyo squeeze her shoulder as she walked past. “Anyone but her.”

Nayeon held her hand up to shield the sun from her eyes. She should have brought her sunglasses. She sat on the grass behind Mina, watching as the quiet girl painted the scenery in front of them.

A large water fountain spraying up periodically in the small lake, bikers whizzing by in circles, flocks of birds gathering around an abandoned piece of bread. The two have barely exchanged words. Nayeon wanted to stay quiet to not disturb her work, but she was also caught up in her head about what Jihyo had said.

It was different. Something about Mina made her want something different. It actually made her want something for a change. She barely knows her yet, but she wants to know her. Jihyo is wrong.

“Nayeon?”

A timid voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Speak of the devil... or angel.

“I asked you what you thought?”

She stood up and brushed off her pants, inching closer to the painting and squinting at it. The painting was the exact image of the view in front of them, except for one thing.

“H-How did you paint me when I was behind you?” Mina smiled faintly, but her question was met with silence. Nayeon watched as she took the small canvas off the easel. Mina handed the painting to her.

“For you.”

There was an odd sensation that spread within her chest. Nayeon could feel something beating. She could also feel how hot her face was, and how clammy her hands were getting.

_Anyone but her. Anyone but her._

Screw you, Jihyo.

Nayeon absentmindedly forked at her food, sitting across from Momo who had an equally blank look on her face. It was just the two of them having a late dinner, the others having retreated into their rooms for homework or sleep.

“Momo, what’s it like to have a crush?”

She looked at her, the blank look morphing into one of confusion. “Why are you asking?” Momo almost sounded like she was being accused of something, but Nayeon chose to ignore it, wanting to hear a genuine answer.

“Just answer it.”

Momo thought about the question. Her mind only came up with a certain someone, but she could tell Nayeon was getting impatient. She had to come up with something quick.

“Do you have a crush on Sana?”

Nayeon choked on the water she had been drinking while she waited for Momo to answer. “Why the hell would you think that?!”

Momo shrugged, an unreadable expression on her face. Nayeon cleared her throat and set her fork down to cross her arms. “Do _you_ have a crush on Sana?”

Judging by the deep blush on Momo’s face, it was a dead giveaway. Nayeon almost felt bad for even asking. It was obvious that she did. She watched as Momo gathered her plates and rush out of the dining room.

Nayeon didn’t know what to do with this.  
Had absolutely no idea. The better part of her felt bad, thinking of ways to end things with Sana for good. But the worst part of her wanted to drown herself in Sana to get rid of the bubbling feelings she has for Mina.

The devil on her shoulder won.

Nayeon could sense a shift. She knew Sana well enough to notice that there was something different about the way the other girl kissed her. Like the playfulness had disappeared. Like she was kissing just to kiss.

“Nayeon.” She tilted her head towards Sana, who was cuddled up to her side. “Momo confessed to me.” She couldn’t help but sigh deeply. She felt all sorts of emotions, ranging from selfish to proud to sad to happy.

She paused to let her emotions process. “And?”

“I confessed back.” There it was. The end of the closest thing Nayeon had to a commitment.

A couple months passed, Momo and Sana were now happily together much to everyone’s fake surprise. Nayeon would never admit it, but she missed the comfort of having someone sleep next to her every night. Now her spacious bed felt ten times emptier without Sana.

She was happy for them, yes, but where did that leave her? Nayeon couldn’t even face Mina without feeling some sense of guilt. She wished she could place the blame on Jihyo for making her feel that way, but deep down she knew better.

“Are you getting the drinks for the party tonight?” Jihyo’s voice rang out in the open kitchen, successfully dragging Nayeon out of her headspace.

“Party?” She trailed off, confused as to what her friend was referring to. Jihyo gave her an impatient look, causing Nayeon to shrug with wide eyes. “Sorry, I’ve been drowning in homework.”

Jihyo let out a sigh. “The last party before winter break. Ring a bell?” Indeed it did, the winter themed party was a personal favorite of Nayeon’s. She slapped a hand to her forehead.

“Oh, duh! Yes, I’ll grab the drinks.” She grabbed her keys and waved goodbye, stepping out the front entrance of the large house. The liquor store was conveniently just two streets over snuggled in between a grocery store and some restaurants all a part of a strip mall.

Nayeon tapped her foot, waiting for the signal to allow her to walk. She scanned the sidewalks, recognizing fellow university students going about their Friday evening. One thing that came out of her sudden loneliness was a raise in her grades, from B’s to A’s. Her studies consumed most of her time now.

She hoped, no _wished, wanted_ Mina to look her way or even give her the time of day, but the other girl rarely came out of her room if it wasn’t for classes and sorority activities and events. Nayeon wonders for a moment if Mina will show up at the party tonight.

Jihyo is still in the kitchen baking goods when Nayeon stumbles inside with a heavy brown bag filled with tequila and vodka. “Want to take a secret shot with me before everything starts?” She wiggled her eyebrows playfully. Jihyo slapped her arm, but nodded her head.

Before she knew it, it was dark outside and their backyard was filled with people. Nayeon felt the thump of the loud music through the grass, adding onto the buzz she felt coursing through her body. She was nursing a strong drink that Sana made for her. Of course, she only added a dash of mixer to the multiple shots of tequila.

Her sorority sisters were scattered about, talking to girls from other sororities. Their university had a few houses, but they mainly got along with each other, no sort of rivalry going on at all. The fraternities on the other hand...

Nayeon slinked up the stairs, one destination in mind. She had finished her drink and she felt able enough to finally face Mina. There were no distractions, no Jihyo to stop her, nothing in her way right now.

Without knocking, she barged into Jihyo and Mina’s room. Mina was sitting at her desk, sketching in her notebook, back facing Nayeon. She drunkenly plopped onto the bed. “You drive me crazy.” She slurred out, not realizing that Mina had no idea she was in her room. “I don’t know why, and I think that drives me crazier.” She laid herself down on the unfamiliar bed, staring up at the ceiling while she mumbled some more about her deep feelings.

Mina’s airpods beeped, signaling that they were running out of battery. She pulled them out and heard soft snoring coming from behind her. She whipped her head around, grabbing her chest at the sight of a sleeping Nayeon on her bed. When did she get there?!

She tilted her head at the peaceful look on Nayeon’s face. Her eyes scanned her soft features. Mina moved back around, looking down at the notepad on her desk, quickly touching up her drawing. Now, it was complete. She had been practicing her sketching, and Nayeon came to mind. She was nice to draw, Mina thought to herself, had all the perfect qualities artists always sought out.

She tiptoed over to the side of the bed, brushing a loose strand of hair out of Nayeon’s face. She reached for the blanket to put over her body, but a hand stopped her. Mina froze, eyes wandering back towards Nayeon’s face. Her eyes were still shut closed but she was mumbling something. Was she sleep talking? Sleep _moving_? 

“Angel Mina.”

She heard that one loud and clear. Mina chuckled to herself quietly, softly pulling off Nayeon’s grip on her wrist. She placed the blanket over her and switched off the lights, making her way back to her bed, slipping in next to Nayeon.

Nayeon peeped open one eye, feeling a headache coming on. She groggily turned onto her back, stretching her arms out. It wasn’t until she felt a body next to her did she realize that this wasn’t even her room. She whipped her head around, soft wavy locks spread across the white pillow next to her.

She clamped a hand to her mouth, holding back a loud gasp. Oh. Oh no, this can’t be. But before she could fully grasp the situation, the door swung open. “Mina, do you have any medicine?” She froze at the sound of Jihyo’s voice. Nayeon made an attempt to hide under the covers, but Jihyo’s eyes were quicker.

“What the hell?!”

Nayeon shut her eyes tight, feeling the blanket being ripped off the bed. She felt an onslaught of petty slaps causing her to move into a fetal position. “It’s not what it looks like!” _It’s not... right?_

“It isn’t.” Mina’s soft voice echoed over the sounds of the slapping. The bed shifted and Mina was now by Jihyo’s side, pushing her away from Nayeon. “The medicine should be in the kitchen.”

Nayeon was relieved, but why did she feel slightly disappointed? What even happened last night? All she remembers is walking up the stairs and then it was all blank. She rubbed her sore shoulder, guilt washing over her after she caught Jihyo’s look of disappointment as she walked out of the room.

Mina turned to face her. “You should take some medicine too.” And with that, she followed after Jihyo. She stretched out her arms and legs and let out a mixture of a groan and a scream. This was all a huge misunderstanding, but she knew Jihyo wasn’t going to get off her back about it.

Nayeon peaked her head around the corner, checking if Jihyo was still in the kitchen. She was, staring right at her while she threw back a cup of water. She rattled the pill container, almost like she was coaxing Nayeon out of hiding. She desperately needed those to get rid of her raging hangover headache.

She gave up and walked on in, throwing her hands up in surrender. “Look, I--"

Jihyo held up her hand, instantly shushing Nayeon. “Not right now, we have to let the meds kick in.” She leaned her elbows onto the countertop, rubbing at her temples.

“How much did you have to drink?” Nayeon grimaced as she swallowed a couple pills. She was embarrassed to say that a few shots and a dangerous concoction made by Sana had her blacked. Usually she could remember the night.

“Too much. Had three of Sana’s mixes.”

Nayeon choked on the water she was sipping on. “Three?! Holy shit, how are you even alive right now?” Jihyo gave her a funny look. “I only had one of hers and I was gone.” Jihyo only narrowed her eyes, sipping on her own glass of water.

“Girl can’t mix drinks for shit.” Jihyo mumbled behind her cup.

It took approximately thirty six minutes until Nayeon was given a second scolding in the form of a calm —creepy— lecture. She prayed for Jihyo’s future kids.

“I believe you when you say nothing happened, but what were you even doing in our room in the first place?”

Nayeon tried really hard to remember the previous night’s events, but she was coming up empty handed. “I don’t even know.”

Jihyo sighed, slumping against her chair. “I’m sorry for being so hard on you about this, it really isn’t much of my business in the long run.” Nayeon looked up to meet her gaze, but Jihyo’s focus was on a piece of lint stuck to her shirt. “I just don’t want there to be any fractures in this house.”

Nayeon understood that, she didn’t want that either. That’s why she was trying so hard. For Jihyo, for the others, for herself, for _Mina_.

“Me neither.”

Two steps back, and an even further step backwards. Nayeon was back to avoiding everything about the angelic girl who bombarded her thoughts everyday. Mina pretended like nothing had happened that night of the party and the morning after, and it bothered her. Why was she so nonchalant about it all?

Nayeon hoped that she didn’t do anything cripplingly humiliating, like confessing or worse, making a move on her. She would personally let Jihyo knock her out for that one.

“Sana.” This was one of the rare occasions that the two were in their shared room at the same time. She was at her desk studying while Sana sat on her bed, flipping through a magazine.

“No, I won’t make out with you.” Sana replied in a bored tone, eyes not leaving the magazine. Nayeon looked at her incredulously. First of all, she would never ask that. Second, she was mad that she felt a hopeful twinge at the mention of making out with her former “fling”, even if it was denied.

“Pass.” Nayeon rolled her eyes, moving from her desk to dive onto Sana’s bed. “How do you get a girl to like you back?”

“If you’re talking about yourself, you just got to be the opposite of who you are.” Sana teased, folding her magazine close and giving Nayeon her full attention. This felt nice, having a conversation for once instead of locking lips in an endless make out session. She frowned when Nayeon didn’t hit back, watching as Nayeon threw her arm over her face.

“I’m a mess, Sana.”

She cooed, sliding down the bed to get closer to Nayeon. She slung an arm around her, rubbing soothing patterns on her back.

“I don’t know how I feel half the time, and the other half.. it’s just so overwhelming.” She took a shaky breath. “But most of the time.. I just don’t think I deserve to be loved.” She felt a tear fall down her cheek. It had been a while since she had a breakdown, a good cry.

Sana was silent, watching her vent while giving her physical comfort. This was all that Nayeon needed, a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.

Nayeon needed to find herself, deal with herself first before she could even think of anyone else. _Mina_.

The girls were crowded around the flat screen for their monthly movie night. More than half of them were sprawled across the floor on top of blankets and pillows, the rest on the couch. Nayeon yawned, leaning her head against the arm rest. God knows how many times she’s seen House Bunny. Her gaze trailed off the movie, slowly moving towards a certain someone.

Mina was smushed in between Sana and Momo, holding a bowl of popcorn while the others dug in. They were so focused on the movie it made Nayeon snicker quietly to herself. She slowly slid off the couch without a sound and made her way over to grab a soda from the fridge. She was browsing through her options when the microwave door shut.

Nayeon flinched, closing one of the doors to see who was behind the noise. “Scared me!” All the lights in the house were turned off to set the mood for their movie nights, but the moonlight seeping through the blinds illuminated the outline of Mina’s body.

She tore her gaze away and continued browsing, finally picking up a can of Pepsi. The microwave beeped just as she closed the fridge. “Coke is superior.” Nayeon smirked, knowing Mina was right. She watched as the girl refilled the bowl with more popcorn.

Nayeon admired the way Mina carried herself, with a rare kind of elegance. She was kind and inviting and calm, welcoming, even though she was shy and quiet. Nayeon wanted to know more about her, behind all of that. The mysteriousness constantly drew her in.

But Nayeon had absolutely no idea how to even start a conversation with a girl she was interested in if it wasn’t anything to do with...

Her phone buzzed in her back pocket, bringing her back to reality. She hadn’t realized that Mina was staring back at her. Nayeon sent her a tight lipped smile, clicking her phone on to see one new text message.

**From: devil**

**im back in town for break. can i come see you?**

Nayeon took in a sharp breath. She should have blocked her number for real. “Is everything okay?” _Always sweet, always kind._ Mina’s eyes shined with budding worry.

She shoved her phone back into her pocket. “It’s nothing.” A fake smile. “We should go back, we’re missing the movie.” She headed out of the kitchen, not sparing Mina another glance.

“Tzuyu, can you pass the gravy?”

The sisters were gathered around their dining table, feasting on a very large meal prepared by Jihyo and Mina. No one was leaving the house or going to visit family for winter break, so they decided to make the most of the holidays together.

Nayeon was happily munching on her steak when a loud pounding on the front door caught everyone’s attention. Her eyes scanned the room. “Sana, would you get that?”

She watched as Sana scurried down the hall, timidly opening the door before it was pushed in. Nayeon choked at the sight, fork and knife clanking onto the plate as it slipped out of her grip. The uninvited guest wore a black leather jacket with a white crop top underneath, and matching black jeans that were ripped. She pulled off her sunglasses.

Nayeon felt a hand on her shoulder, Jeongyeon. She was giving her a wary look. The others shifted around uncomfortably, confused at the situation unfolding in front of them. Jihyo narrowed her eyes at the stranger, wondering if this was the ex-girlfriend Nayeon always talked about.

“Nice to see you guys again!”

Nayeon finally composed herself, slowly standing up from the table. Everyone had paused their eating to watch in anticipation, besides Momo, who snuck in a quick spoonful of corn to calm her growing nerves. Nayeon and her ex were never a good combo.

“What are you doing here, Jennie?”

Nayeon caught Mina’s curious gaze out of the corner of her eye. This was so embarrassing, couldn’t Jennie have waited until after dinner? She knew the house rules and schedule. Jennie shrugged, crossing her arms defensively when Sana walked past to get back to her seat.

“I wanted to visit the house.” A straight up lie, and a lame excuse at that. She pushed Jennie out into the hall and away from everyone’s view. Nayeon was so close to completely forgetting about her existence until now. “Are you not going to invite me to dinner?”

“You lost that privilege when you left the sorority.” Nayeon ran a shaky hand through her hair, nervous and frustrated at the situation. She totally did not want to rehash everything that went down the previous year. Jennie took a step closer, eyes squinting while Nayeon avoided her glare.

“Oh yeah? Even if it was all your fault?”

Nayeon narrowed her eyes. She wasn’t going to fall for it, argue with Jennie, but she sure wanted to. “We were broken up for a month. I think I was free to do anything.”

“Or _someone_.” Jennie mumbled pettily, pointedly looking over Nayeon’s shoulder and at Sana fidgeting nervously at the table. She was watching them carefully.

Nayeon didn’t actually blame herself, but Jeongyeon and Momo never knew the real reason as to why Jennie left their sorority in the middle of last year. She was never quite sure on how to tell them that Jennie was so upset that she walked in on Sana and Nayeon, she moved universities. That was the first time Nayeon had done anything with Sana.

“I bet you’re still rooming with her!” Jennie’s voice grew purposefully louder, Nayeon heard a dish clank. She quickly opened the front door, pushing Jennie out onto the porch.

Nayeon lowered her voice, a tinge of hurt lingering deep down at the sight of Jennie’s pout. “Don’t bother coming back, you aren’t welcome here.”

Jennie raised her hands up in mock surrender, backing away and walking down the steps. “You should’ve been the one who left, not me!” Nayeon scowled. She cared more about the sorority than Jennie ever did, it made no sense that she would leave just for the sake of not seeing Jennie. Maybe she was glad that her crazy ass left.

Nayeon plopped onto her seat, her mashed potatoes and steak cold now. She avoided Sana’s concerned look and picked up her utensils. Everyone slowly started to pick back up on their conversations before the rude interruption.

Her head was completely empty. She refused to give Jennie another thought. Nayeon lifted her head, locking eyes with Mina. They were so different. Jennie and Mina, Mina and Nayeon. Would they ever work? She ripped her gaze away from Mina’s to finally meet Sana’s instead.

It was hardly a secret now, the fact that the two of them had been hooking up, but Jennie coming back and bringing everything up again was a lot when they were moving past it. Especially the part about how things started between them.

“Tzuyu, can you pass the bread?”

There was a light knock on the door before it opened. Jeongyeon stepped in, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. “That was something.” Nayeon groaned, burying her face further into her pillow. “I’m swapping with Sana and sleeping here.”

“What about Dahyun?”

“With Tzuyu and Chaeng.”

There goes her carefully planned rooming arrangements. No one really stuck to those after a while anyway. The room fell silent, Jeongyeon switching off the lights on her side before jumping into Sana’s bed. Nayeon left hers on to finish a class reading.

“You know, Jennie is still so hot-“

Nayeon threw a pillow at Jeongyeon, successfully ending her sentence before she could hear more.

She lay awake that night, trying really hard to remember who she was before Jennie came and swept her off her feet in a whirlwind, a tornado. A bad one. She was less jaded more naive back then, a memory she deeply stored away. Things were different now, Nayeon even thinks that _she’s_ different now, after meeting Mina. Her mind always came back to the quiet girl who was surely snoozing peacefully in the room across from hers, unknowing of Nayeon’s inner turmoil.

With Christmas around the corner, everyone was busy gathering presents for a last minute secret gift exchange. They drew names from a bucket at the start of the week to give them a bit of time. Nayeon drew Sana’s name and she had just the idea on what to get her. She was walking out of the local craft store when she got a message from Jihyo asking to meet her for coffee across the street. What she wasn’t expecting was another figure sitting next to Jihyo, facing away from the entrance, but Nayeon had everything memorized about her already.

Nayeon grabbed her coffee order before sitting down and blabbering with Jihyo about the festivities, Mina staying quiet next to them while she sipped on her tea. Things were running smoothly with no hint of awkwardness or discomfort until Jihyo opened her mouth after a long silence.

“So Jennie, she’s the ex you told me about, right?” Nayeon must have imagined it, but she swears that the comment caught Mina’s attention. She opted to nod in response, throwing back the rest of her lukewarm drink. “She’s something all right.”

Nayeon squinted her eyes at Jihyo, giving her a strange look while the younger girl just smirked back. Mina looked uncharacteristically uncomfortable next to them. “It was a long time ago anyway.” She mumbled half heartedly, trying her hardest not to take a peek at Mina.

Jihyo dropped the topic and they went back to speaking about presents. Mina didn’t make a sound during the rest of their time in the coffee shop, even Nayeon momentarily forgot she was there. They walked back to the house and Mina immediately flew up the stairs.

“What’s gotten into her?” Jihyo questioned, the both of them flinching when a door slammed shut. Nayeon shrugged, an unsettling feeling brewing deep in her stomach.

Nayeon stumbled down the stairs, rubbing sleep away from her tired eyes. She blinked them open, coming face to face with a flash of red, green, and white. There were streamers strewn all over the living room, stockings set up by the fireplace with their names, and a nice big tree decorated simply with lights and a star on top.

The week flew by and it was already Christmas morning. Well, the afternoon. The younger girls must have finished the decorations after she knocked out for a nap. She hadn’t seen or spoken to Mina since the coffee shop and she was starting to believe the other girl vanished into thin air.

Nayeon carefully pulled out her gift from her sweatshirt pocket, quickly slipping it inside Sana’s stocking. She smirked, excited to see the look on her face when they unwrap presents.

She took a seat next to Tzuyu at the table, who was spooning at her oatmeal. “Are you going to eat that?” The younger girl shook her head, pushing the bowl towards Nayeon who immediately dug in. The house was relatively quiet for the special day, where was everyone?

At that the front door opened, a wave of noisy girls rushing through to shake off the sudden snowfall. It was snowing?! Nayeon did a swift headcount and yes, everyone was here. She stood up and straightened her posture, trying her best, and failing, to be a serious sorority leader.

“Has everyone submitted their presents?” She gestured to the stockings, earning weird looks from her peers. Jeongyeon was the first to laugh.

“Of course, weirdo. Now let’s get to it!”

They made a deal that they wouldn’t reveal who got who’s names in the drawing and leave it as a mystery. Some of them were obvious, and the others not so much. When Sana opened her gift, her eyes bolted towards Nayeon who had a wide grin on her face.

“Are you serious?!” The girl teased playfully, holding up a handmade _friendship_ bracelet with both their initials on it. Nayeon was going for a meaningful approach this year. Also it was less time consuming to make.

Nayeon could feel Momo’s eyes shifting nervously between the two until Sana’s hands instinctively reached towards Momo’s, easing her worries. She scanned the room, most of the others were immersed in side conversations of their own to notice the fleeting moment.

She nonchalantly craned her neck back, trying to peek over the many heads on the long couch to catch even a glimpse of Mina. She gave up when she felt a tap on her knee.

“You’re the last one!”

Nayeon heaved herself up from the couch and skipped over to her stocking. She had customized hers the first Christmas she was accepted into the sorority, Rudolph the red nose reindeer but instead of the red nose, she gave him a star nose. Cheesy if you ask her, but it was all that she could work with back then.

She reached in and shuffled around the big stocking, hitting her hand on something hard. “I swear, if you guys gave me something _funny_...”

Nayeon pulled out a neatly wrapped gift. She examined it closely and it appeared to be a book of some sort judging by the shape and size. She sat back down on the spot she was occupying earlier and carefully unraveled the wrapping paper.

“Hurry up!” Jihyo voiced out impatiently, as if this was her own gift. Nayeon shot her a glare and slowed a tiny bit down on purpose. The anticipation was killing her too though. The wrapping paper was finally off and she flipped the gift over in her hands. It was a personalized picture book. She could only furrow her eyebrows in confusion.

Their was a collective sound of dismay at the anti-climatic moment. “Ha ha, very funny guys.” She didn’t bother opening it, shoving it under her leg instead. Everyone mumbled about, talking about how much cooler their gifts were. Nayeon had to admit that she was disappointed, who would get her this? She looked over at Dahyun, maybe she was the culprit.

The sorority sisters dispersed for some free time before their Christmas dinner. Nayeon tossed the book onto her bed before returning downstairs to help Jihyo with food prep. The younger girl was flaunting the new earrings her secret Santa gave her. Nayeon scowled, knowing exactly what her friend was doing.

“Oh don’t be petty, your gift was cute too!”

“You don’t need to lie.” Nayeon let out exasperatedly. “I mean, what kind of gift was that?!” Jihyo shrugged, vigorously whisking a bowl of raw eggs. The older girl pushed herself up to sit on the countertop.

“Did you get to see what was inside?”

“No, it’s probably something lame anyway.”

There was a clatter by the kitchen entryway followed by a quiet curse. “Oh, that’s Mina with the extra pots and pans. Go help her.” Jihyo advised distractedly while whisking eggs. Nayeon slowly slid off the counter, her body tensing up as she moved towards the girl on the ground.

Mina avoided her gaze as they picked up the oversized pans that were from the storage closet. They only brought them out for special dinners. Nayeon paused when she reached out for the last one. Her hand was on Mina’s for a moment. A split second moment. A moment she wishes lasted longer.

The quiet girl quickly retracted her hand, leaving Nayeon to pick up the last pan from the floor. “I need one of those pans right now!” Mina scurried into the kitchen, not waiting up for Nayeon.

What was going on? Sure, her and Mina weren’t really friends but something felt off, different. Almost like the other girl was actively avoiding her. Whatever it was, Nayeon couldn’t help but wonder if it was her fault.

It was now time for Nayeon’s nightly routine of staring up at the ceiling with her endless thoughts until she ran herself tired. Dinner went by smoothly without any surprise guests or dramatic arguments. The group of girls talked about their New Year’s plans and settled on a small party with just the nine of them. Nayeon debated if she should get drunk again. The answer was yes.

She heard shuffling from the other bed. “I don’t know if it’s because we’re upperclassmen now but, the group of girls we have now might just be my favorite line up.”

“Jeongyeon, you say that like we’re some type of Kpop group.”

Whack! A pillow to the face. Nayeon threw the pillow back.

“I’m just saying once we graduate, the house will be in good hands if those girls decide to stick around.” Nayeon mulled over those thoughts. Tzuyu, Chaeng, and Dahyun were freshmen, Mina and Jihyo were sophomores, and the rest of them were juniors. They still had a good amount of time left together. Enough time for things to eventually change up.

Nayeon decided to think positively. “Maybe so.” She reached over to turn off her lamp, eyes brushing over the picture book. Now she was slightly curious. Jeongyeon turned off the lights on her side with a goodnight, leaving Nayeon alone with her never ending thoughts again.

She briefly flipped through the pages, landing on a particular one that caught her eye. It was a cartoon like drawing of a girl with exaggerated sad eyes. Just like that something clicked in Nayeon’s head. Page after page, it started to become clear. She quickly turned to the front of the book, noticing a short message.

A wave of dread mixed with a hefty dash of guilt washed over her.

**Hope you like the story, it was inspired by you.**

**-Mina**

Shot after shot, Nayeon has never felt any lighter. She pushed away Sana’s drink mixes and settled for a vodka cranberry to sip on for the next hour as a break. The nine of them were sprawled out on the floor of the living room, the couches pushed aside to make room for a gathering circle. No, they weren’t going to play spin the bottle, they were going to play mafia. Or at least attempt to.

Not even two minutes in and the older girls are cackling and spilling drinks all over themselves. The younger girls could only watch in amusement, having not touched a single alcoholic drink themselves. This game of mafia wasn’t working out in their drunken state.

Nayeon rolled onto her side, her gaze flittering over to Mina, who was entangled in a mini dog pile with Sana and Momo. Seems like she had a drink or two herself by the way her voice was louder and laughter more boisterous.

She felt someone cuddle into her side. “I’m so glad to be in a sorority with you.” Great, gushy Jihyo was making an appearance. Rarely happened, but if the girl had more than a few drinks, this was the result. Nayeon laughed her comment off, she was too busy staring at Mina to fully engage.

Even in her drunken state Nayeon felt guilt creeping through her. She needed to apologize right away, but she had no idea how to even speak to the other girl let alone admit her stupidity on that day. She truly appreciated the picture book after reading through it several times that same night.

It was a well thought out gift that she so easily judged at first glance. Nayeon really was beating herself up over it. She eyed the bottle of tequila on the coffee table. “Jihyo, pour me a shot will you?” After a few grumbles and the noise of glasses clinking, she threw back the shot Jihyo definitely over-poured for her.

“Ten seconds until midnight!” She distantly heard Dahyun screech over the commotion. The majority of them were having a hard time even grasping the concept of reality by how inebriated they were, but Nayeon sat up and scanned the room once more.

It was about to be the start of a new year, a new decade, and she was ringing it in with her favorite people. Dahyun had her arms around Tzuyu and Chaeyoung, the trio excitedly counting down the seconds. Nayeon looked to her right, but Jihyo was gone, immediately finding her sitting on Jeongyeon’s lap.

Momo and Sana were locking lips off to the side. Nayeon’s gaze trailed past them, over to Mina, who was staring right back.

“Three, two, one!”

Her attention diverted at the sound of party poppers going off. She was too drunk to scream in surprise at the loud noise inside the house. If she were sober, Nayeon would have scolded them, but it was New Year’s and she wasn’t. She flipped back to Mina, only to find her spot empty. She twisted around trying to seek the other girl out among the chaos, but she was nowhere to be found.

It was a miracle Nayeon woke up in her own room, let alone in her own bed. Shockingly enough her hangover wasn’t as bad as the one after the winter break party. She chalks that up to not having one of Sana’s drinks last night. She stretches her legs but meets resistance.

“What the hell?!” Jeongyeon was passed out on the edge of her bed, totally unaware that Nayeon had her feet tangled in her hair. She checked the time on the clock and let out a small groan. It was seven in the morning, no one would be up right now.

She tossed her blanket onto Jeongyeon and slid off her bed, tiptoeing down the stairs and into the kitchen. She reached the kitchen and absentmindedly switched on the light, startling at the sight.

It was like a tornado had run through the kitchen. No one bothered to clean up after last night’s event, it was usually the underclassmen’s job to worry about the aftermath of a party. She peered into the living room, at least it looked cleaned in comparison. They must have been exhausted, she thought, perhaps she will give them a pass.

Not to be mistaken, Nayeon was _not_ getting soft on the younger ones. Well, maybe she was, but they didn’t need to know that. They need to learn and grow and know what it’s like to be a proper sorority sister.

Never mind all that. Who was she kidding? All the girls are angels.

Save for Jeongyeon, that evil devil.

Nayeon shook out a trash bag and started collecting empty cans around the island. “Boy can these girls drink,” she muttered to herself. A thought crossed her mind, ultimately fluttering away at the sound of light footsteps approaching.

“Oh hey, Momo.” Nayeon eyed her sleepy friend. “Wanna help me out?” There was a moment of pause before a quiet grunt in response. Momo stacked all the snack bowls and placed them in the sink.

“All done!” She smiled lazily and plopped onto a chair. Nayeon scowled at her, tying up the garbage bag full of beer cans.

“Not until you actually wash and put them away!” Momo let out a wail, slumping in her chair as she tried to get out of chores. This is what she gets for waking up early.

By the time the kitchen was tidied up, it was reaching eleven o’clock and no one else had made it downstairs. Nayeon and Momo were sitting side by side at the island sharing a bowl of cereal. They both couldn’t stomach a whole bowl themselves, the effects of drinking the night before still simmering in their bodies.

“So, how are things with you and Sana?” Nayeon would like to think enough time had passed where she can talk to Momo about this, but the other girl still froze for a split second. She set her spoon down, waiting patiently for her to say something or nothing at all.

Momo shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth. “Why you asking?” It came out all garbled, but Nayeon could tell what was being said. She crossed her arms, not trying to come off jealous, defensive, or nosy. She was genuinely curious.

There was a clatter in the living room and Nayeon whipped around to catch what was going on. When she didn’t see anything, she turned back to face Momo, narrowing her eyes. “It’s just a question, don’t make it weird.”

Before Momo could open her mouth to answer, there was another interruption in the form of a person. Nayeon stilled at the presence of Mina holding empty glasses, meanwhile Momo beamed, glad to be distracted from the conversation at hand.

“Had a good night’s rest? You drank a lot more than usual last night!” Momo teased, the younger girl turning bright red. She hurried over to the sink, purposefully busying herself to avoid their stares. Nayeon grabbed their now empty cereal bowl and handed it over to Mina, who grabbed it without having to turn towards her.

Their hands brushed and Nayeon jerked hers back, uncharacteristically nervous all of a sudden. Momo’s eyes darted between the two before it clicked. Nayeon caught her surprised expression and sent a threatening glare her way. There was no way she would let Momo tease her for this.

“Time for me to head upstairs!” Nayeon chuckled nervously, only Momo giving her full attention while Mina scrubbed away at an already clean cup. “Got that paper due tonight.”

“But you told me you got all your work done before the break?” Momo smirked, knowing full well what she was doing. Mina didn’t seem to care, seeing as she hadn’t turn around the entire time. Nayeon grabbed the closest thing she could find to throw at Momo, but the ping pong ball ricocheted off the cabinet and into the sink.

Nayeon made a run for it while Momo let out a loud laugh.

She dragged her fingertips along the walls, stopping at her room. She shifted her gaze to the door across the hallway. Was Jihyo asleep or awake? Nayeon nudged the door open with her foot. “Rise and shine!” She frowned when she noticed Jihyo wide awake and working at her desk.

“Nice try.” The younger girl scoffed, not tearing her eyes away from her laptop. It caused Nayeon’s frown to deepen. “Some of us still have projects to finish.”

Nayeon fell backwards onto Jihyo’s bed. “What are your new year’s resolutions?” The sounds of keys click clacking away filled the room, the older girl waiting in curiosity.

Jihyo hummed, hovering her cursor over a program she was working on. “What if I said that I don’t believe in those?” She answered a bit distractedly. Nayeon ignored her response.

“My resolution this year is to not get involved with a girl!”

Jihyo threw her head back, releasing a hearty laugh. She pulled back her headset and shifted her body towards Nayeon. “I’ll bet a hundred dollars that you’ll crack within the first month.”

Nayeon threw a pillow at her friend. “I won’t, you can bet away!” She knew deep down that she’d probably end up losing.

The first couple weeks of the year whizzed on by and the girls were back on campus, already over going back to school. Nayeon was so swamped she didn’t even have time to spare her housemates a glance during that time. Her new year’s resolution was still going strong.

Until it wasn’t.

The house was empty most of the day, everyone being in class and all. Nayeon decided to skip out and head home early, it was only lunchtime but with the day she was having, she needed it. She dragged herself over to the living room, throwing herself onto the couch.

“Oh, I didn’t know anyone else would be home at this time.”

It felt like her soul left her body, seeing Mina appear in front of her. She was wearing a white nightdress and looked almost ghost like. Maybe she was dreaming.

Nayeon rubbed at her eyes, her tiredness finally catching up with her. She couldn’t even be bothered that Mina was actually talking to her. “Me neither.” She reached for the remote control and switched on the TV. She blindly flipped through the channels while Mina stood in her spot.

“Nayeon?”

She kept her eyes glued to the screen, she couldn’t handle looking at Mina when she called her name out like that. Like she was about to say something she was going to regret. “Yes?”

“Did you like the book?” They were both way too sober to be having this conversation, or maybe Nayeon was just being dramatic. Yes, that was it. This was a normal conversation.

“Yes.”

She could do better than that, Nayeon was totally going to beat herself up after Mina leaves. It was like she spoke too soon though, because the younger girl takes a seat next to her on the couch. “Oh yeah? I’m glad you didn’t find it lame.”

Ouch. Now _that_ was some shade. She needed to get a grip and hit back. Hit back as in finally apologize, that is. “Look, I’m really sorry about all of that. I really appreciated the book, thank you.” It was almost like some robot took over Nayeon and forced out those foreign words. She really didn’t do this often.

“Jeongyeon told me you read through it every night.”

Oh, Nayeon was surely going to kill her now. She stuttered out a response. “Th-That’s not true!” Mina threw her head back and laughed, a magical sound drifting into Nayeon’s ears. At least they can joke about it now.

They watched movie after movie, Nayeon slowly drifting in and out of sleep until a hand shook her awake. The sun was setting outside and the house was now a bit nosier than before. She turned to her left and realized her entire body was leaning on Mina.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She quickly pushed herself off, flinging herself over to the other side of the couch. Her head was spinning, it was a bad move. She ignored Mina’s pointed stare and buried her face in the couch cushion. “What time is it?”

“Six o’clock.” SIX?! Last she checked it was only three in the afternoon. Was she really asleep for three hours? She internally groaned, the fact that she had fallen asleep on Mina finally sinking in.

The sound of footsteps bounding down the stairs caught their attention. It was a blur of running and chasing, insults being thrown left and right. Nayeon finally got a glimpse. She grinned when she realized it was Jeongyeon and Jihyo. She took this moment to separate herself from the couch, coming to Jeongyeon’s defense, even though she had no idea what the ruckus was all about.

“You better get out of my way, Nayeon.” Jihyo threatened dangerously with a low voice. “Or else I’d have to throw you down too.” The older girl glanced back at Jeongyeon, lifting an eyebrow as if to question her. Big mistake.

She felt herself being pushed aside, falling back onto the couch while Jeongyeon let out a scream. “So much for helping out!”

Nayeon let out a laugh and caught Mina stifling a giggle next to her. Their stare lingered before an obstruction came into view. Jihyo had pushed Jeongyeon onto the couch, right in between the two girls.

The younger girl hovered over the three on the couch, her eyes shifting over to Nayeon, giving her a purposeful look. “Let’s go prepare dinner.” She nodded her head over to the kitchen. Jeongyeon giggled gleefully, happy that Jihyo’s attention has shifted off of her. Nayeon slapped her leg before getting up.

“Mind telling me what that was all about?” Nayeon asked casually, leaning over the counter to watch Jihyo pull out some pans from the cabinets.

“I can ask the same.” Jihyo glanced over before spraying cooking oil over the heated pan.

“I asked first!”

The younger girl scoffed, cracking some eggs into a mixing bowl. She scooted it over towards Nayeon to mix while she moved on to chopping some vegetables. “You know, Mina hasn’t been going to her art class lately.”

Nayeon momentarily paused her mixing to throw her friend a confused frown. “So that’s why she was home early today.” Her mind was so wrapped up in Mina that she completely forgot about Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s fight. “How come?”

“She thinks I can’t tell, but I think she’s been...” Jihyo trailed off, stopping her movements to think deeply over her next words. “Depressed.” Nayeon scrunched up her face, surely that wasn’t the case... or was it?

“Have you tried talking to her?” She observed Jihyo as she pulled out another bowl to toss in the chopped vegetables. They really did spend a lot of time in the kitchen together, mainly Jihyo cooking while Nayeon pretended to help.

“No.” She reached for the bowl of whipped eggs and poured it carefully onto the heated pan. “But she’s been like this since the holidays. Maybe she misses her family.” Nayeon had a slight inkling that it wasn’t just that.

She laid in bed that night wondering where she was at in her life. Was she happy? Was she satisfied with the path she was walking on? Did she have room to share the path with a special someone?

These thoughts haunted her every night.

Calling Mina a friend wasn’t enough, she was more than that to Nayeon, even though they weren’t exactly friends to begin with. What was so different about her? What _exactly_ was so different about her from the rest of the girls Nayeon’s been with?

Endless repetitive days seemed to fly by, but it was still the month of January. Did the month drag on longer because of the stupid resolution she made for the new year? Nayeon smacked her forehead, she was _more_ than just a girl pining over other girls. How pathetic did she look to her friends?

At least it was the second to last day. Just a little bit longer and she could finally prove Jihyo wrong and earn her hundred dollars. She snickered at the thought, sprawling out on the couch while scrolling through her phone.

Her amusement came to a halt when her phone rang. “Jihyo? I thought you were in class.” She heard shuffling and sniffling in the background, growing concerned at the silence. “What’s up?”

“It’s Mina.”

The first thing Nayeon did was smack Jeongyeon upon her entrance in the nurse’s office. Mina was fast asleep on the bed and Jihyo had to get back to class. “What was that for?!”

“No reason. I just had to smack someone.” If it wasn’t for the atmosphere, the two would’ve broken out in a full on fight. “What happened?”

Jeongyeon shrugged, sighing deeply as she sat on a nearby chair. “They think she fainted on the way to class.” Nayeon approached the bed, avoiding the urge to brush Mina’s hair off her face. Despite her supposed condition, she looked peaceful.

A timer beeped and Jeongyeon scrambled to her feet. “That’s my cue. Keep us updated!” And she rushed out without hearing a response from Nayeon. They called her because she was the only one who didn’t have class, but she had no idea how to deal with the situation in front of her.

She took a seat in the chair Jeongyeon just got up from and pulled out her phone. All she had to do was wait, right? Her eyes lingered on Mina before looking back at her phone.

“Where am I?” Nayeon whipped her head back up, meeting Mina’s tired eyes. “What happened?” She scooted her chair closer and reached over only for her hand to be swatted away.

“Damn. I was just going to feel your forehead.” Nayeon fell back onto her chair and scoffed. “You fainted apparently.” Mina let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes again and resting her head on the fluffy pillow.

Nayeon gulped. She couldn’t help but think that she’s doing this all wrong, going about this all wrong. She cared for Mina, right? Then why was it so hard for her to show it?

She reached into the depths of her mind and conjured up something she hoped was reassuring to say. “Um, I’m here if you ever need to talk... or something.” Mina only opened an eye, but it was still enough to make Nayeon freeze.

“Thanks. I guess.” She really sounded exhausted and a tinged bit confused. Nayeon didn’t blame her, she sucked at comforting. She wondered how long Mina had been bottling up her stress and emotions. Did she talk to Sana or Momo about things like that? Come to think of it, she’s never witnessed the girl blow up, like ever. “If you don’t mind, I’ll probably just go back to sleep.”

“Let’s get you back home first.”

It was the next night and Nayeon eyed the clock by her bed. Just ten more minutes until midnight, the first day of February and an end to the long month of January. Her days of suffering had finally come to an end. The house was oddly quiet, the majority of them spent endless hours awake throughout the night.

She rolled out of bed and smacked Jeongyeon’s leg before rushing out of the room. She noticed the door was ajar across the hall. Peeping her head in, she saw that Jihyo was no where in sight. _Must be making a snack in the kitchen,_ Nayeon mused to herself.

“Hey.” She flinched at the soft voice. Mina took off her headphones and folded the magazine on her lap. Nayeon was glad to see her looking brighter today than she did yesterday. “Jihyo’s making a snack downstairs.” _Ha! She was right_.

Nayeon hummed, sauntering into the room. “I wasn’t looking for her.” She took a deep breath, staring right into Mina’s curious eyes. “I was actually looking for you.”

“Is that so?” After coming home yesterday Mina decided to do something crazy. Nayeon was admittedly skeptical after being asked to help, but looking at the other girl now, she knew they made the right move. Her hair looked stunning blonde.

Nayeon’s stomach did flips just looking at the soft smile on Mina’s face. She took a seat on the bed across from her. “Are you feeling better?” The now blonde nodded, scooting closer to her. Mina held her gaze while Nayeon faltered. “I— uh.”

“Nayeon?” Her voice was a whisper, like a ghost grazing past her ears. A hand came up and hesitantly cupped her cheek.

Was this some sort of dream? “W-What are you doing?” Mina shushed her and leaned in dangerously close, an inch away from her blushing face. Nayeon’s eyes fluttered close and she held her breath. After what felt like forever, she felt soft lips ghosting over hers. “W-Wait.” She gathered up the small amount of pride she had left and pulled away.

She kept her eyes closed, not wanting to crumble at the mere sight of Mina. “What time is it?”

“Huh?”

“Just tell me what time it is.”

“Eleven fifty-eight.”

Nayeon emitted a deep breath through her nose. Why was this happening _right now_?! “I can’t do this.”

“Do what?”

“Just a couple more minutes.” She mumbled to herself.

“What are you going on about?” She definitely ruined the moment they were having.

Nayeon groaned, finally opening her eyes out of frustration. “I made a bet with Jihyo and it ends at midnight.” She missed the way Mina’s face fell, a look of guilt flashing over.

The clock in the room beeped signaling that it was a new hour. “Nayeon, I have to be honest—“ She was cut off by desperate lips.

Corny was the last thing Nayeon wanted to be, but here she was thinking it felt heavenly to be kissing Mina right now.

Until she wasn’t.

“Nayeon, wait.” She felt Mina pushing her away and in that same moment, the door swung open and Jihyo jumped in, screaming like she had won some major competition. Except she didn’t. _Nayeon_ won their bet, not her. So why was she the one rejoicing?

“Cough it up.” Jihyo addresses Mina, holding her hand out as if she’s about to receive something. To Nayeon’s surprise, she hands over a twenty dollar bill. “You know, I didn’t think you had it in you.”

An unsettling feeling crawled into the pit of her stomach. “What’s going on?” Jihyo chuckled carelessly, rubbing Nayeon the wrong way. There was nothing nonchalant about this.

“Damn, I guess I owe you though, huh?” She took out a crumpled hundred dollar bill from her back pocket and slapped it onto Nayeon’s palm. “Congrats! You barely made it over a month without getting involved with a girl.”

Nayeon whipped her head back towards Mina, who shared an equal look of shock with her. On one hand she was embarrassed that Jihyo exposed it so bluntly, and on the other hand, she was growing angry at the bet placed against her. She was aware that it was a bit hypocritical but this was all too conniving even for Jihyo.

“What were you betting on with her?” Nayeon slowly got up from the bed, glaring at Jihyo who took a step back. It took everything in her power not to throw her down and fight it out like they do with Jeongyeon.

Jihyo put her hands up in surrender, her smile fading into a nervous one. “Relax. It’s not a big deal. Right, Mina?” _Wrong_. Nayeon pushed her while she was busy begging for help from the silent girl who hadn’t moved an inch on the bed.

Another push and Jihyo was falling back on her own bed. “Tell me right now and maybe I won’t tear your music books to shreds. Literally.” She looked down on her friend cowering into a fetal position.

“We bet twenty bucks that she could get you to kiss her within the month.” The gears started to shift in Nayeon’s head. Wait, that was actually so genius. Jihyo would have won something regardless if something happened or not. She would be giving her a high five right now if Nayeon wasn’t the one being double crossed.

Right now, she felt an overwhelming sense of rage and annoyance. Before losing total control, she ran out of the room. She didn’t want to do something she was going to regret the next day.

Valentines day was already around the corner. It’s been two weeks since she left the sorority house and ended up staying somewhere else with a certain someone. Not ideal, but it was only temporary. She keeps Jeongyeon up to date and vice versa. She will be back soon enough, maybe even today.

It was time for her to face the music.

“I made your favorites!” Nayeon was greeted in bed with a tray full of plates with various sorts of foods. From pancakes to crepes, fruit and coffee. She would be ecstatic at the sight, but this was the fifth day in a row to receive a breakfast like this. She was _definitely_ going back home today.

“Thanks Sooyoung, but I’m going to have to pass.” She tapped her imaginary wrist watch. “Late for class!” The frown on the other girl was enough for Nayeon to hesitate. She internally groaned and reached for a bite of the pancakes.

Sooyoung was a sweet girl, a family friend she grew up with. Nayeon was aware of the fat crush she had on her, but it never went anyway besides a few drunken kisses here and there.

“Are we hanging out for Valentines?” The hopeful look on her face made Nayeon’s cold heart sink. Oh this poor girl. She needed to set her up with someone asap. Maybe Jinsoul from her science class?

Nayeon plastered on a fake smile. “Maybe!” That was a lie. She slid out of bed and grabbed her belongings. There wasn’t much since Sooyoung loved to share her clothes. “I appreciate you letting me stay for a bit.”

Hearts were popping out her eyes at this point. “Of course. You’re welcome anytime!”

She headed out of the room and waved goodbye, walking herself out. She didn’t actually have a class yet, but she needed to head home first while she knew no one would be home.

Nayeon felt a lot of different emotions, mad and upset, embarrassed and annoyed. The initial rage faded away but it was replaced with disappointment. She didn’t want to believe that it really happened in that way and that it was all ruined by stupid bets that the three of them made.

She climbed into her car and reached for the phone in her pocket and scrolled through her messages and missed calls from the past couple weeks. 52 missed calls and 345 unread messages. 50 missed calls from Jihyo and the other two from Jeongyeon, meanwhile all but one of the texts were from Jihyo.

She stared at the message from Mina. Nayeon didn’t want to open it but her curiosity got the best of her.

**From Mina**

**I’m sorry.**

She continued to stare at the message. What was she apologizing for? The bet, the kiss? Nayeon heaved a frustrated sigh and tossed her phone onto the passenger seat. She will deal with everything later.

Later came sooner than she had hoped.

“Oh! I didn’t know you were back.” _Mina_ , the second to last person she wanted to see. Last being Jihyo of course. Nayeon was about ready to dart back out of the house when she felt a grip on her arm. “Please stay. I’d like to speak with you.”

She gave up on resisting and let herself be dragged into the living room, feeling herself be pushed down onto the couch. Nayeon crossed her arms defensively and avoided eye contact. Maybe the wound is still fresh after seeing Mina in person.

“I know how it looks—“ Nayeon turned her head at that, shooting a glare. “I just wanted to apologize for everything.” She could accept this and move on, but a voice on her shoulder urged her to act petty.

She rose from the couch and took a step towards Mina, approaching her with an intimidating stare this time. “Is that it?” She could feel a thump in her chest. Nayeon cursed her heart for beating.

Mina stood her ground and stared back. She looked ten times more intimidating, rendering Nayeon frozen in place. Mina’s gaze dropped down to Nayeon’s lips and back up. The movement was so quick she almost missed it. “No.”

A second longer and Nayeon was sure she would have crumbled, but the heavens answered her last minute prayers. “Anyone home?” Mina quickly pulled back from the sound of Jeongyeon’s booming voice. This was the one and only time Nayeon was thankful for her friend’s presence.

She gave Mina one last look and followed Jeongyeon up the stairs. She didn’t want to overanalyze the moment they just had, but she couldn’t help but think that there was something there. Was she crazy for thinking that?

“Glad to have you back.” They entered their shared room and Nayeon grunted in acknowledgement. “You and Jihyo should probably talk.” Doing that was probably last on her list at this point.

“Is it too late for me to disappear again?”

Valentines Day. A cursed holiday Nayeon thinks. Even when she had people to spend it with she hated it. What did they expect from her of all people? She was most definitely not going to get anyone a box of chocolates or flowers (although she would like to receive some flowers, but she wasn’t going to admit that).

She was single and _very_ alone now and could mind her business at home, but Jeongyeon had other plans.

“There’s going to be a party across the street.” They were folding their endless amounts of laundry. The pile was tall enough to be the height of Chaeyoung. She glanced over to gauge Nayeon’s reaction. “We should go.”

If it was any other day she would have said “yes” with no hesitation, but it was Valentines. Was Jeongyeon setting her up? “No. I’m staying home.” But Jeongyeon _definitely_ had other plans if it wasn’t obvious by the mischievous glint in her eyes.

Nayeon still needed to deal with Jihyo. The thought of it made her head hurt already. Getting drunk was starting to sound kind of enticing...

The world was spinning and Nayeon wasn’t sure if it was due to being drunk off her mind or if Jeongyeon was literally swinging her around. The cool night breeze slapped her in the face. She recognized her surroundings, they were a couple meters away from their house. It was a fun party she had to admit, even better that she got to spend it without having to care about anyone but herself.

The front door opened, revealing an unamused Jihyo. It was probably best if they avoided that talk right now.

“We need to talk.” She was staring pointedly at her while the two trudged up the stairs. If she didn’t have her arm swung over Jeongyeon’s shoulders then she surely would have tripped on the way over.

It was a miracle the two even managed to walk out of the party. “Talk? What is that?” Nayeon slurred as she crossed over the threshold, bumping purposefully into Jihyo.

“It’s not the right time for that.” Jeongyeon replied properly for her. She seemed sober enough for a split second before resuming to her drunken antics with Nayeon. The younger girl gave up and left them in the hallway with a roll of her eyes.

Walking up the stairs was a feat. It felt like a hike Nayeon had to take during a school field trip to the mountains, one she never ended up finishing. After what felt like years they finally reached the top and tumbled onto the ground. They sprawled out and laid there for a while.

“So is Sooyoung still single?”

A slap echoed throughout the house.

“Ouch! What the hell?” Nayeon was going to pay for that. Jeongyeon dragged her up and pushed her down the hall and through an open door, closing the door shut on her. Nayeon could hear her evil chuckle through the barrier. “I’m locking our room!”

The rug on the floor was feeling extra comfortable to her right now, so she couldn’t find the energy to bite back. She rolled to her side and was greeted by a concerned face. She must be dreaming.

Or she’s just in a constant state of dreaming whenever Mina is around.

Crap, she was in Jihyo’s room.

She pushed herself up and crawled towards the door, super self aware that Mina was probably judging her hard. “What are you doing?” She reached for the doorknob, her hand slipping after her lame attempts.

“Need.. to leave.” Nayeon dropped her head down, the energy was coming in waves but the drunkenness was hitting harder all of a sudden. She rolled onto her back and noticed Mina hovering over her. A lazy smile made its way onto her face. “Angel Mina.”

Then darkness.

Nayeon smacked her lips and swallowed, grimacing at the pain in her dry throat. She only remembers downing shots with Jeongyeon at the party, that’s as far back her memory went. She picked her head up from the unfamiliar pillow and examined her surroundings.

Before it could click in her mind, the door opened. “Great, you’re awake.” She hid her face back in the pillow, willing herself to become invisible. A hangover and Jihyo was proving to be a bad mix. She felt the side of the bed dipping. “I want to say that I’m sorry for everything.”

Nayeon sighed. She couldn’t avoid it forever. “It’s so not cool, but I’m not going to be mad at you forever.” That was all it took for Jihyo to smile again, happily patting her on the head. They always bounced back from little spats, but this felt heavier than that. It was going to take her a bit longer to get over it.

“For what it’s worth, I think you two needed the push.” One last pat on the head and Jihyo headed back out, letting Nayeon mull over her words.

Spring came and went and the weather got warmer. Summer, Nayeon’s favorite season. She sat at the head of the dining table and looked out at the others. It was their final dinner together in the sorority house before summer break.

She knew they would be reunited after the long break, but the image was bittersweet. Her eyes lingered on Mina. She was heading back to Japan with Sana and Momo. Nayeon was going to miss them.

A proud smile made its way onto her face while her gaze passed over Tzuyu, Chaeyoung and Dahyun. The whole year zoomed by in a blink and the three have grown so much. They looked so at home now.

She looked to her left and right, smirking at her best friends. Nayeon wouldn’t know what to do without the two of them by her side.

Nayeon pushed her chair back and stood up, raising her glass of juice. “Thank you for the crazy year. Here’s to the next one.” Short and simple, the cheesiest she can be in front of a crowd, but they all knew how she felt.

The nine of them clinked their glasses and cheered.

“You better message me everyday.” Sana squeezed Nayeon, almost hard enough to lift her off the ground. Momo cackled at the sight. A plane flew above them, the noise muffling their words and blowing through their hair messily. “We better get going.” Sana shouted above the roaring engines.

Nayeon raised her hand towards Momo and the two broke out into their signature handshake while Jihyo backed away from her hug with Mina. “Have fun you guys.” They stayed behind on the sidewalk and waved.

She exchanged one last look with Mina before the three moved towards the entrance of the airport. They shouted goodbyes over their shoulders and disappeared into the busy crowd.

“So, that’s it?” She furrowed her eyebrows, turning to Jihyo. “No grand gesture? No dramatic goodbye?” They climbed into the car and waited for the traffic to thin out.

The past couple months had been a turning point, a shift so to speak. Nayeon felt like she was in a better place with her mind and her heart, even though she was hellbent on not admitting the latter. She had a reputation to uphold.

“What do you mean?” There was a hint of a smile on Nayeon’s face as she let her thoughts wander. A soft face was pushed to the forefront of her mind. Mina. A sparkling smile. Mina. Her precious laugh ringing in her ears. Mina.

“You two are so boring.” Jihyo positioned the car off park and drove forward into the lane beside them. She nodded dumbly, too preoccupied to realize her friend’s teasing words. “And you’re not even together yet.”

_Yet_. The word echoed in her head.

She grabbed the door handle and jumped out. It was time to change that.

_Mina blew out the candles on the birthday cake the younger girls baked. A strawberry cheesecake with a chocolate filling, a masterpiece if you asked Nayeon._

_Everyone hollered and clapped. “What did you wish for?!” Sana squealed out. All eyes were on her in anticipation. Mina met Nayeon’s gaze from across the table._

_She winked at her. “It’s a secret.”_

“Im Nayeon are you insane?!” Were the last words she heard shouted at her while she ran into the airport. They couldn’t have gotten far, it had barely been five minutes since they parted ways, but today was an especially busy day for the airport.

Just my luck, Nayeon thought.

She whirled around looking for the airline she knew they were taking, hopefully they were still caught up checking in their bags.

“Ma’am, what’s the rush?” An employee approached her, concerned etched on their features. “Do you need help?” Nayeon looked around one more time. It seemed like the amount of people walking around doubled.

This was such a last resort.

“Yes. I’m looking for someone.”

Mina stepped out of the restroom and joined Momo and Sana who waited outside for her. The screech of the intercom speaker caught their attention, a long shuffling noise being overheard. There were looks of confusion and people whispering about what could possibly be going on.

“Excuse me— is this thing on?” The voice sounded faded, but it was surely recognizable. Sana and Momo turned to Mina, all sharing incredulous looks with each other. “Myoui Mina?” The static made the speaker screech again. Others around them were starting to catch on, realizing that this was not in fact a professional speaking.

Sana nudged her. “You better go before she totally embarrasses herself!”

“I think she already has.” Momo threw in afterwards.

This was so unlike Nayeon. What was she thinking?! She forgot about her luggage and rushed over, figuring she could try to find her before another “announcement”.

“Wait, I see you!”

Mina spun around and found her. And just like that the crowd parted to make way for the two, exactly like some dramatic ending to a movie. Nayeon would find it icky, she thought fleetingly.

“Are you crazy?!” Nayeon pointed to herself with a look of feigned shock. They were still a bit too far from each other to carry a normal voice level conversation.

Nayeon picked up the pace and they finally met each other halfway. If she wasn’t so in the moment, she would have snapped at all the people who were staring or throwing them dirty looks.

“Maybe...” Oh Mina knew where this was going. She smirked, anticipating Nayeon’s next words. “Maybe I’m crazy for you.”

She doubled over in laughter. “You just _had_ to say it.” Mina shook her head, a sad smile appearing on her face. Things were so different from when they first met. A lot had changed for the better, she was confident in thinking that.

“I’ve got more to say to you but right now,” Nayeon tugged her close. “Right now I want to—“

Mina beat her to it.

In the distance they could hear Sana whistling and Momo snapping pictures of the two. Yeah, this was a once in a lifetime chance to catch Nayeon in the act of showing genuine feelings. 

They broke apart and reality crashed down hard. Mina was going to be gone for three months.

It was like Nayeon read her mind. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here waiting for you to get back home.”

_Home._

A smile bloomed on Mina’s soft face and she felt a rush in her chest. The same rush she felt all year long, whenever Nayeon would look her way or when the other girl did something silly. Or laughed. Or smiled.

And she knew Nayeon felt the same.

“I’ll be back before you know it.”


End file.
